Capybara Madness

The wide variety of animals that I can be confused with is a constant source of amazement to me. How could you humans mistake a cute animal like a capybara with some of these–let’s call them visually challenged–animals? I don’t get it. Nevertheless, it does happen and I am here to set the record straight. I am NOT a peccary or javelina or skunk hog or whatever other name you want to call these animals.

Collared peccary in Venezuela

I’m not saying peccaries aren’t cute. They have a certain charm about them. But look at that nose! Now look at the photo of my nose.

My profile including my adorable nose

Do they look anything alike? No.

Here are some other ways we are different:

• Peccaries have hooves (they are in the group with even-toed hoofed animals), capybaras have webbed feet.
• Peccaries are omnivores, capybaras are herbivores
• Peccaries have tusks, capybaras have self-sharpening incisors
• Peccaries live from the American Southwest, through Central America and South America, capybaras are restricted to southern Panama and eastern South America.
• Peccaries top out at around 90 lbs, that would be a puny capybara
• Groups of peccaries sometimes attack and kill humans, capybaras are sweet, docile animals
• Peccaries have an unpleasant odor from a scent gland on their back, capybaras have a nose scent gland whose odor is not noticeable by humans
• Peccaries can run up to 20 mph, no one bothers to clock capybaras because we are so slow
• Peccaries live up to 24 years, capybaras, sadly, live only 12-14 years

Here are some ways we are similar:

• Our overall body shape is long and narrow
• We overlap through much of our South American ranges
• We both have very coarse hair
• We are about the same length and height even though capys weigh more
• We both have small ears (although capy ears are much cuter)
• Jaguars, crocodiles and caiman will eat capybars or peccaries

I hope that clears up any confusion you have had on this topic. Do not feel too badly, lots of people make this mistake. But look again at the nose on that peccary and my nose. Seriously, don’t confuse us again.

Morning Bath

A lot of people ask me what my day is like. “Caplin,” they say, “what the heck do you do all day?” Well, that’s a tough question. Obviously I do different things on different days. But I thought I could give an example by showing what my day was like last Saturday.

Continue reading "Sunny Saturday" »

Me with Neptune

Against all odds, my famosity has extended beyond the run-of-the-mill 15 minute variety. I dare say I have achieved a full 30 minutes! This is great because as Capybara Ambassador it is my job to let people know about us capybaras, including how cute and how smart we are. I am being super successful at that, not that I like to brag. I had a whole bunch of articles written about me this month, too many to put links to all of them so these are just some highlights. The photo of me with Neptune was one of the most popular photos used. I can understand why because we sure look cute together.

The LA Times

Planeta Bizzaro (in Brazil)

The Telegraph (in the UK)

EToday (in Russian!)

PEOPLEPets and msnbc.com

HLN.BE (Belgium)

I did a video segment for KENS5 in San Antonio, Texas

Here’s an article on Hobby.cz about me in Czech!

Here is an article about me in Pets Best Newsroom. Question is, why did they use a photo of some other capybara? That is not me.

I even got a dumb reference from the comedian, Dave Barry. Not sure I like those comments.

And wow! Look, here’s an article about me in Thai!

There were more, including one in a newspaper in Hong Kong that I couldn’t get a link to. So you can see that I am Capybara Ambassador Extraordinaire!

I want to thank Linda Lombardi of the Associated Press. She started this whole thing rolling with her article about me. Thanks Linda!

Wild capybaras with caiman (photo by Coral Waters)

I think humans are romantics. They have dreamy visions of the world. Fantasies based only loosely on reality. I think this because so many people comment that I would be better off in the wild. If I could actually speak human, I would tell them that they would be better off in the wild.

I’m not saying that all capybaras should be pets. In some ways I do envy my wild cousins. I’d like to be free to travel far and wide. To swim the languorous Amazon. To graze grassy meadows stretching as far as the eye can see. To lie with a band of my family and friends under the scant shade of bushes in the heat of the day. It sure sounds great.

But see that photo at the top of this post? That is a young caiman with a couple of adult capys. Caiman are like alligators. That one is too small to hurt those capys and they all know it. But it could catch a baby capybara and eat it. Or it’s larger friends could even threaten those adult capys.

And caiman aren’t the only dangers that lurk in the water.

Continue reading "The Wild Life" »

Blancanieves exploring with her brother

Some of you may recall my post about a baby white capybara born on Christmas day. I said she was born in Bolivia but that was not true.  She was actually born at M’Bopicuá Breeding Station in Uruguay.  Her caretaker,  Juan Villalba-Macias, wrote me and explained my mistake. He also told me she is doing great and he sent some photos of her for me to share with my readers (after the break).

Continue reading "Update on Blancanieves" »